By Alex Banx
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 07/15/2022
LA County had more Pride festivals this year than ever; many cities and neighborhoods celebrating their first Pride event, but decade after decade, Southern California’s predominantly BIPOC out and proud LGBTQ+ representatives from all over, near and far, prefer to celebrate their Pride in Long Beach, CA, honoring the community, educating the world, and empowering each other through art, music, dancing, literature, public service outreach and awareness, support, solidarity, compassion, allyship, kink, benefit, and fun with several stages, booths, workshops, and more!
After a 2-year hiatus, LB Pride is back!
2022 marked the 2-day return of the 39th Annual Long Beach Pride featuring the long-awaited Pride parade and in-person festival on Sunday, July 10 at Marina Green Park on Shoreline.
This year’s theme: “Many Voices, One Spirit” and Long Beach carried!
This year’s festival motivated music fans, young and older, to invest $55 on an entry ticket into the main festival excited to see and hear the two most-anticipated and inspiring women headlining this year’s festival. Crowds danced, ate, hugged, and drank eagerly awaiting 6pm to hit to finally show their love and respect for the Mexico City-born Queen of Latin-Pop, Paulina Rubio, grace the Latin stage and the controversial and daring Australia-born rapper, Iggy Azalea, on the Urban Soul stage at 8 pm.
As 6pm approached, excitement became slightly muffled. Many fans were already aware, many others just found out; less than 2 weeks before the day they’d been waiting for, the moment to see Paulina Rubio live at Long Beach Pride, Paulina’s mother, Mexican telenovela star, Susana Dosamantes, passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Colorfully energetic, the audience gave full attention to the stage as the vibrations of the first evocative beat hit. Paulina sang, from afar. The audience, all now aware of how much courage it took Paulina too make it this far, stared deeply onto the stage with wonder. “Would she come out?” As the song went on, shining brightly, Paulina made her way closer to center and then to the front of the stage for the first time since her mother’s passing. Hundreds of adoring fans sang out, sang along, danced, cheered and brought the love.
https://youtu.be/nU00JNF5y1o ]
Recorded by Eileen Rodriguez, THT
As the sun went down following Paulina’s unforgettable set, passing what appeared to be Richard Branson’s giant Virgin missile, Pride-goers headed to the opposite side of the park cheerfully crossing paths with beloved old friends and acquaintances.
What seemed to be well over a thousand bodies, crowded together for the one and only, Iggy Azalea. In her trademark lace-bodysuit with fishnet stockings, Iggy boldly strutted her way to the front of the stage with her entourage of booty-bouncing dancers immediately keeping the crowd hyped for her entirety of an expectedly infamous performance. But Iggy Azalea didn’t come to LB Pride just lay down some clever bars in her black form-fitting one-piece. She came to uplift and inspire all those who have ever been told they don’t have a right to exist or pursue their dreams. As that right that is too often denied to self-identified and assumed members of the LGBTQ+ community, Iggy’s message of perseverance created a stronger bond between her and the crowd.
Iggy YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-SU3Q9tLGWs
Recorded by Alex Banx, THT
Another amazing Pride festival.
Thanks, Long Beach!
🏳️🌈 !! Happy Pride !! 🏳️🌈
Paulina Rubio, Iggy Azalea, Long Beach, Pride, music, festival, LGBTQ+, Latinx, BIPOC, Virgin Orbit